Liz Jacobs, a member of the AH&H Communications team, joined our operations in Jamaica to capture and showcase to our audience exactly what the need is in affected communities, and what people can do to help.
“I’ve been working in the humanitarian space for several years, and I’ve seen many disaster zones. The devastation in Jamaica was the most widespread I’ve ever seen.
Despite this, the kindness and selflessness I experienced from the locals in the face of tragedy was something that changed my life.”
Based in Saint Elizabeth, we traveled to communities like New Hope and Accompong to support areas that were almost entirely destroyed by Hurricane Melissa. It’s difficult to comprehend the strength of the winds and rain required to cause such severe damage. Connecting with community members, feeling their warmth despite immense loss, and offering support to help ease the weight of what was lost meant the world to me. Some of my most meaningful connections were with children playing and hanging out in their destroyed neighborhoods. They were sweet and kind, holding onto their sense of wonder even in the face of tragedy. It was clear they mirrored the love and gratitude shown by the adults around them.
From coastal towns to farming villages, Melissa left homes damaged, livelihoods disrupted, and families facing an uncertain road ahead. Our team is supporting those communities impacted by Hurricane Melissa. Here’s an update on the work underway, and the people at the heart of it.
Our team has been hard at work in Elim, a small farming community where many residents earn a living selling produce to the nearby city of Santa Cruz. Melissa submerged large areas of farmland, damaging crops and directly impacting livelihoods and access to food.
We’ve been clearing debris from properties, making repairs, and securing homes with tarps.
Louie’s home was one of the spaces we secured in Elim. We retrieved pieces of his roof, dismantled what was damaged and left over, and created an airtight, waterproof tarping system to keep him and his belongings safe from rain and the blaring sun.
When Marilyn returned to her home, the walls were gone and her belongings were scattered across what remained of the house. In her community of Belmont, homes along the coast were stripped down to their floorboards by Hurricane Melissa.
Our team worked alongside her to clear debris and carefully sort through what could be saved. By the end of the day, Marilyn shared that she finally felt hopeful again, for herself and for John, her dog.
“This morning I didn’t know where to start, you left me and John [the dog] feeling happy!”
Meanwhile, in the nearby town of Coaker, repairs are underway at the local primary school, ensuring children can return to a safe learning environment. Urgent roof repairs continue across Elim and Coaker, as this is the primary need here in the immediate time after the storm.
As recovery continues, we’ve also expanded our work to support local farms. Hurricane Melissa not only flooded farmland and destroyed essential crops but also damaged infrastructure like fences and shelters, leaving animals to roam freely and putting future harvests at risk.
At farms like Marcia’s to the right, our team removed debris, repaired fences, and rebuilt a goat shelter.
To date, we’ve supported five farms, tailoring our work to each site’s needs and helping farmers prepare for planting in January.
Alongside debris removal and repairs, we’re distributing critical relief items through trusted community leaders. These include solar lights, water filters, tarps, tool kits, and hygiene kits provided to schools through partners.
Another recent form of support we’re helping facilitate is government-backed cash assistance for households, enabling families to buy food and meet their most urgent needs.
Looking Ahead, Solutions at Scale
Recovery in Jamaica is far from over. For families who lost their homes and livelihoods, the months ahead are just as critical.
That’s why our partnership with the United Nations’ International Organization for Migration (IOM) is an important next step in the Hurricane Melissa response. IOM has supported recovery efforts from the start by coordinating response activities, identifying needs, and providing essential resources like tarps, shelter kits and solar lamps. Now, with AH&H selected as an implementing partner, we’re able to expand our reach and support more families.
In the coming months, our work will focus on moving households from temporary fixes to safer, longer-term solutions. This includes repairing severely damaged roofs, supporting vulnerable families with light repairs, and helping young people earn income and build skills through cash-for-work opportunities that directly support their communities.
We’ll also invest in long-term resilience by sharing practical, disaster-safe building knowledge through the Build Back Safer Framework, ensuring families are better prepared before the next storm.
